About Me

I am an antique textile dealer and also make things from a variety of my textiles,usually things that are distressed and can be recycled to extend their life and enjoy their beauty or workmanship.
I buy antique quilts exstensively ,log cabin pattern is my favourite. "Paisley" shawls are another passion of mine,even the damaged ones find a good home with me! love the colours, so rich.
I have a soft spot for anything in wool, must be my Northern roots and upbringing,Blankets, sweaters, tweeds and felts , the more rustic the better.
Lizzy and I share a love of French linen and textiles and have a joint collection , " Franglais " which we source together on our travels, bedlinens , soft furnishings , sheets for curtains , the more rustic the better we like them Handwoven linens and hemps from the 19th cent. wonderful shirts and chemises.

Friday, 5 February 2010

Wed night will see the " Franglais" duo on the night Ferry to France!We are off to stay with my lovely Ticky and her Nick for 4 nights , what bliss and a textile sale which we have missed the last two years thrown in for good measure.So we will have lots of time to rummage in our favourite haunts and hopefully have some Booty for the Rag Market at Bridport on Feb. 20th.I just can't wait for my first real French coffee and croissantJust can't wait to see the familiar " spotty cows "Just can't wait to enjoy the quiet French roads meandering through the rural countrysideJust can't wait to smell the familiar wood smoke , freshly baked bread and pastries and the sharp French tobacco on a crisp Market morning.can't wait to get my hands on some lovely rustic old linenYes ! I have that lovely feeling of anticipation

Sunday, 31 January 2010

I have been privileged to buy this lovely hand decorated work box of a skilled needle woman along with the resulting works she completed with the contents. It is so nice to have the complete package and to track the progress from design to finished work.I love the fact that she embroidered the covering of the box herself. Makes it a very personal item.So Mrs Murray wherever you are in the Universe your work is in safe hands .

I love buying sewing boxes they are full of stories. People never seem to clear them out ! you just get layers.This handmade envelope below is clearly twenties and holds all the muted shades of wool for the Jacobean panels Mrs Murray worked on in the late 20's The working traced designs and booklets contain all the designed used for the completed panelsThis is a jump forward in time ! An uncompleted Coronation sampler with woolsA selection of various ideas she had tried at one time or another.If there is anything here that inspires you do let me know

Mrs Murray was clearly a skilled embroiderer and has taken her inspiration and designs from this magazine and excellent little book on Jacobean embroidery with the most wonderful illustrated plates.Lovely to be able to follow the making from start to finish, a lttle capsule of history in itself and very much of the period. The little book has her name in the font and the date 1929 so I have sort of built the story from that. I feel that was when the work commenced

A large four fold screen displaying the four panels of lovingly needle crafted crewel work in The popular Jacobean style. I love the flamboyant seed and flower heades they use in Jacobean work ,almost samplers in themselves of a range of textured stitches. I will take some better close ups for my web site but could not wait to show you this. I have a lot of hoovering to do as it has been tucked away.